


Life Lessons

by redeem147



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-16
Updated: 2011-08-16
Packaged: 2017-10-22 16:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/239987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redeem147/pseuds/redeem147
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories of the past explain Snyder's reaction to Buffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life Lessons

He saw her in the school courtyard and almost did a double take. Wouldn’t do to let these students see his feathers ruffled, so he kept his composure. It couldn’t be her. He looked closer and realized he’d let his mind play tricks. She was like her, yes. Thin, blonde, pretty. But not her.

He found out the student’s name. Buffy Summers. The file told him everything he’d expected. Trouble maker. Expelled from her previous school.

For some reason the pages had been torn apart then taped back together. No doubt something to do with Flutie and his fuzzy-minded approach to being principal. She wouldn’t find that kind of weak-kneed liberal administration in him. He was focused. A right thinker. A leader.

*****

“Reinhold.” The taller boy snickered as he held the student card out of reach. “What a dweeb name.”

“Please.” He tried to grab his ID back, but it was out of reach. “Please, I need that.”

“Sure ya do, *Reinhold*.” He dropped the card into the mud, and pushed it down with the toe of his boot. “Go get it then.”

The boy who wished for all the world his parents had named him anything but Reinhold reached into the mud and pulled out his card, while the group of students gathered around laughed. He’d hoped that changing schools would have meant a fresh start from the bullying he’d experienced all through public school, but it was obviously not to be. The card was wet and filthy and he supposed he’d have to go to the office for a new one. If they’d give him one. Maybe he could wipe it off and dry it out on the radiator at home. He took a kleenex from his pants pocket and ran it across the card. The print ran. He felt very close to tears, but he screwed up his eyes trying desperately to keep control.

“Whatsamatter, Reinhold? You a widdle crybaby?”

“Cut it out, Billy. Geez, you’re a prick.” The girl flicked her long blonde hair with the back of her hand. “Back off the guy. It’s only his first day.”

Billy looked like he was about to say something, but seeing her cold stare thought otherwise. “Aw, Sam. I was just having some fun.”

“Yeah. Some fun. Now bug off.”

Gritting his teeth, Billy started to move away. His friends followed. “You scared of her?”

“Naw,” he answered. “I don’t hit girls is all.” They left, leaving the girl and boy alone.

“Don’t let those morons get to you. You just gotta stand up to them.” She pulled a cigarette from the pocket of her jacket. “Want one, Reinhold?”

“No thanks. And it’s Snyder,” he replied. “Just call me Snyder.”

“Whatever. Though you really think that’s an improvement?”

He scowled, pocketed the still muddy student card and mumbled, “I’ll see you around,” as he clenched his fists and turned to leave.

“Geez.” She put her hand on his arm. “Don’t get your shorts in a knot. Snyder’s an okay name, I guess.”

He looked up at her, trying not to blush. The more he tried, the redder his ears got. “I have to be getting home now.”

“Sure.” She lit the cigarette and took a long drag. “I’m going out with some friends tonight. We’re going to see A Fistful of Dollars. Wanna come?”

“Isn’t that restricted?”

“So? There’s a back way. We sneak in all the time. I’ll meet you at seven at the corner of Dundas and Colbourne. K?”

“Yeah.” His brow wrinkled with worry at the thought of breaking the rules, but only for a moment. “Yeah,” he smiled. “I’ll see you there.”

*****

He told his mother he was meeting new friends to study. This was only after he had finished his homework and washed the dishes. She wanted to know who these friends were, and where they were going. “Just out to a movie with some guys I met at school. The new Disney movie. I won’t be late.”

“You’d better not be, young man,” she replied, kissing him on the forehead.

He hoped he had gotten all the lipstick rubbed from his forehead when he got to the corner. She was waiting there with two guys, both wearing leather jackets. The boys looked tough. He looked down at his cardigan and grey flannel slacks and his heart sank. “Hi Sam,” he said, his voice catching in his throat.

“Who’s the shrimp? You know him?” The taller of the two boys flicked the ash from the end of his cigarette.

“This is Sny. He’s cool. Let’s go.”

He followed them through an alley to the back of the theatre. The shorter boy, Vince was his name, jimmied the lock with a safety pin. “It’s not that impressive,” he whispered to Snyder. “Thing’s sort of busted.”

“Shh,” the taller boy hushed him, then opened the door. The went ahead, leaving Snyder for last. He imagined an invisible hand clamping on his shoulder as he crept through the door, but nobody stopped them. They slipped into seats at the back of the cinema.

The movie was violent. Not the sort of thing his mom would approve of. Sam lay her head on the shoulder of the taller boy and Snyder felt a little like crying. Then she slipped her hand into his and gave it a little squeeze. For the rest of the film he was the Man with No Name. The hero. He was six feet tall.

After the movie Vince and Ricky told Sam they were hitting a bar. Did she want to come?

“Naw,” she said. “My old lady will go ape if I’m out late on a school night.”

“Mine too,” Snyder said, and the boys smirked. “I mean I’m getting a little tired. Still getting used to the new school. Next time for sure.”

“It’s okay.” Sam linked her arm through his. “You can walk me home first.”

He was afraid to talk as they walked together. This had to be a dream.

“Getting kinda chilly, ain’t it?” she asked. “I shoulda worn a sweater.”

“Oh.” Snyder stopped and started taking off his cardigan. “You can borrow mine.”

“You sure?” she asked. “Thanks.” After ten more minutes of silence she stopped in front of a bungalow. “This is where I get off.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks Sny. See you tomorrow.”

He pretty much floated home.

*****

He’d barely gotten to his desk the next day when he was called to the principal’s office.

“Reinhold,” the tall stout man said, sitting at his formidable desk. “I know you’ve started late in the term, and you feel a certain pressure. Your records from your last school are exemplary. But that doesn’t excuse what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done...”

“Last night my office was broken into. The midterm examinations were stolen. Under the circumstances...”

“Sir,” Snyder interrupted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

The principal looked down at him. “Don’t add lying to the infraction. You’re only making it worse for yourself.” He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a cardigan. “This was found on the floor of my office. It is yours, isn’t it? It has your name embroidered in the back of the collar.”

“It’s mine, but I didn’t...”

“Under the circumstances, if you confess, I’m willing to let you go with two week’s suspension. But we’ll be keeping our eyes on you. Anything further and you will be expelled.”

“Yes sir.” Sam must have been involved. Dropped the cardigan. “I’m sorry, sir. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

*****

She was laughing with her friends at lunch. “Sam,” he said, interrupting, “We need to talk.”

“Yeah, right.” she replied. “Buzz off, small fry.”

“But...”

“Get hep, shorty. Scram.”

He’d been used. It would never happen again.

****

Prinicpal Snyder placed the pages of Buffy Summers’ report in the folder. Another trouble maker. No, she wasn’t Samantha Thompson.

So what.


End file.
